My Experience
Just after graduating from engg i got an offer to join one of india’s best public sector undertaking and subsequently got posted in Rourkela, Orissa . Soon after going to Rourkela, i became member of bsg- Rourkela which was a small block with me as a single ymd. . Being born and brought up in delhi, i found it very difficult to adjust in a small township. Right from the day 1 i always wanted to get back to delhi. I applied for many job openings, prepared for CAT but i didn’t find any good opportunity to get back to delhi or nearby to it. It’s not only the place and the language difference but the job as well which was making my life difficult. To get back to delhi was the only thing that was in my mind .Soon i found myself in depression and anxiety. i used to feel miserable and helpless. Everything around me seemed to be working to create unhappiness for me. During that time i came across sensei’s guidance.
I quote “If your underlying ichinen is full of complaints and dissatisfaction, you will create a gloomy life controlled by unhappy, frustrated feelings. Everything that weaken your happiness is nothing but a product of your own weak ichinen . However if you take everything with a profound sense of appreciation and joy, you will be able to build happiness and fortune at an accelerated rate.”
I felt as if it was written for me only and i could connect to the writing immediately. I again started chanting to strengthen my ichinen and started taking active participation in the meetings. I tried hard to appreciate all the things in my life. Again, During the ymd training course at Kolkata, i received a guidance to start appreciating and have gratitude for my job and try to know my mission. As there are no coincidences in Buddhism, i must chant and find the purpose of my coming to Rourkela .
It was very difficult for me to like my job as i ddnt like it at all. And the work environment reflected the same. My boss used to think that i am escapist and used to yell at me in front of all the people.It became daily routine for me to get reprimanded on one thing or the other.
After the training course, i tried to apply the guidance. Meantime i came across another sensei’s guidance, i quote “If you practise faith yet have an attitude of complaint, you will destroy your good fortune in direct proportion, those who are full of complaint are not respected by others. From both Buddhist and secular perspective, their behaviour does not befit a wise or worthy person.”
For the first time i realized the slander i was doing all the while knowingly or unknowingly. I chanted and determined not to begrudge my life from that moment onwards and to appreciate my job and my boss, and for that matter everything in my daily life. Meanwhile, By basing and focussing on discussion meetings, and working on the basics of practise, the member’s faith and number began to increase. I also started to take charge at my work place and enjoy the task given to me. Over the time, situation at my work front improved mystically. The same boss started liking my efforts and started to appreciate me and started supporting me to an extent that i used to get charge in case of emergency and sometimes given a charge to handle the entire plant alone.
Meanwhile I took an apartment so that the ymd’s can come to my home and chant at any time. chanting with the ymds and studying the Buddhist concept became the daily routine. The gosho and sensei’s writing kept me motivated all through the lonely time in my apartment. The love and affection of bsg-rourkela helped me in getting out of depression . The sincerity and seeking spirit of the members was something that i had never seen before. I gave my all to encourage every single member . Being working in shifts, i tried to do daily home visit whenever my work time permited. Though i Still wanted to come back to delhi and to pursue an MBA but this time around i wanted to foster capable ymd’s and other members before departing.
Being from humble schooling background and average marks in boards with 2 years of dropping after 12th, i was always worried about my chances of getting into the premier B-school and to study finance as a subject. Though i got an admission in one good B school last year but due to high fee and financial liabilities i couldn’t take admission. One of my cousin suggested me a certification program in finance which though very difficult can help me in gaining good knowledge and to also help me to mollify my average marks in school. But to write the exam i needed a passport and quite a good amount of money. As i didn’t have passport i applied for it but i was running short of time. Mystically on the last day of deadline i received my passport and at the same time got the requisite money from my friend to apply. I could truly feel the working of shoten-zenjin in my environment.
It was difficult for me to understand the topics but by chanting and studying i able to read more than 4000 pages twice and understand the topics which were completely new to me, in a span of just 4 months. Meanwhile, the bodhisattvas started to emerge and the member’s increased so much so that Rourkela became 2 districts. The strength of Ymd’s also increased from single to 12. Their seeking spirit was so high that to attend a meeting they all with me travel more than 400 km by bus to Bhubaneswar.
The BSG-india also recognised the faith and sincerity of Rourkela member and trusted us with an exhibition of “building the culture of peace for the children of the world” With just over 100 members and with no experience of managing such an exhibition, it was a difficult task for us. But by chanting and putting faith first, we managed to put forth the great show. By spreading the awareness about the exhibition and BSG we managed to get the venue for free and moreover sponsorship from SAIL. Ymds took active participation in arranging for accommodation, transportation of panels , visiting and inviting schools for the exhibition. Apart from that, members raised sponsorship from as far as Mumbai and more than 1500 people attended the exhibition including the CEO of SAIL-RSP unit.
Mystically on the same day as inaugural of exhibition the result of the cfa international level 1 exam declared and i am happy to report that i have passed level 1 exam in a single attempt.
Meantime i applied for a private bank sponsored MBA programme. I chanted to be in high life condition and perform my best. I cleared the written exam and called for gd/ pi round. I cleared the GD round which was elimination round. I am happy to report to you that i have cleared all the round and one of the few to get selected in this coveted leadership programme.
As this is a sponsored programme i don’t need to worry about fees. Infact i will be getting stipend per month for 2 years of an mba which for a year is more than my current salary. Apart from that i will get an opportunity to do MBA in finance and to learn from the best in industry and will join india’s no 1 private bank at a profile offered not even to the graduates of premier B school with a six figure salary. I am happy to report that i am one of the youngest person to get into this programme. mystically the result came a day before i intended to leave Rourkela.
As sensei says and i quote “ the real benefit of mystic law is inconspicuous. Just as trees grows taller and stronger year after year , adding growth rings that are imperceptible to the human eye, we too will grow towards a victorious existence. For this reason it is important that we lead tenacious and balanced lives based on faith” unquote. To me personally as well the biggest benefit i think i have received is accumulating the treasure of heart. I find myself more sensitive to the worries of people and start appreciating good in each and everyone. To really respect and appreciate the cultural diversity and to really acknowledge the buddhahood in each and every person. I owe this to the members of BSG Rourkela who showered me with the love and affection to an extent that i stopped missing my home lately. They never allowed me to get into depression and made sure that i feel at home in Rourkela. And with the bodhisattava’s emerging and taking responsibility i am rest assured of the kosen rufu in Rourkela. The years i spend there will always remain the best years of my life and BSG-rourkela will always be very close to my heart.
Today i determine to strengthen my faith practice and study and to work for kosen rufu at any place where my mission takes me to.
Thank you.
*experience courtesy of http://www.sumitbsg.blogspot.com/
Leadership in organizations, especially spiritual organizations such as Bharat Soka Gakai, is about giving support and hope to its members in their true essence & meaning; and this must be accompanied by an honest and consistent process of introspection of / on the self by the leaders.
ReplyDeleteHerein, I would like to share my experiences with the Bharat Soka Gakai leadership. Do please note that I have been a member of Bharat Soka Gakai over the past 6-7 years.
In 2013, I was approached by a ‘leader’ with a request to help her and her husband to straighten their family’s books of accounts that were in a complete mess. I showed them the correct way ahead for straightening their books and tax files, delineated the do’s and don’ts for proper maintenance of their books, and also introduced them to a CA to help clear their existing mess. In short, I brought them to a stage when they felt self-sufficient regarding their tax matters. As soon as her work with me was over, the ‘leader’ disassociated from me – probably because my usefulness was over in her judgement. The ‘leader’ emotionally manipulated me and used me emotionally, physically, financially, intellectually and then dropped me. But she is a leader of Bharat Soka Gakai; perhaps (or certainly not) entitled to do it!
Apart from financial matters, she approached me for help on for several other issues – such as helping her make a patio, refurbishment of her apartment, writing speeches for her, going shopping to buy her furniture, personal matters … the list is endless. She kept on giving me the impression that these are part of my kosen rufu activities.
She even had financial dealings with me on a number of occasions. She expected me to give her gifts, and I did give her many gifts. I was not clear about the rules in Bharat Soka Gakai as regards gifts, financial dealings with members, but she knew them! But she is a leader in Bharat Soka Gakai; perhaps entitled to take advantage of the loopholes. There are many other things she did which are against the Bharat Soka Gakai guidelines, but it may not be possible to mention all.
As I see it, while I continued to help her as my kosen rufu efforts, she conveniently took advantage of my sincerity. She used me and used me till she realized that she did not need my services anymore.
Is this the kind of leader Bharat Soka Gakai wants? What legacy is she leaving for the next generation of Bharat Soka Gakai?
She has no compassion, no qualms about using people, talking behind their backs and behaving in a high handed manner. She does not think of the greater good of other members. She is jealous of the progress of others in the group and tries to put them down by talking ill about them. During meetings, she is at her best with a saintly attitude. Outside the meetings, she shows her true nature. I am shocked with her duality which I call ‘Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde’, for this is my experience with her. She enjoys being called a spiritual leader as it gives her a sense of power, a sense of superiority. She welcomes people who have problems and asks them to share it with her so that she can give advice to them as their ‘guru’. I have seen in her a distinct ‘spiritual snobbery’ and the desire to climb the Bharat Soka Gakai ladder by ‘hook or by crook’. This, you will agree, is ‘spiritual fraud’ and violates the principles of humanity. She is a deceitful leader.
Due to her misdeeds, the Block has been disunited (with her manipulative methods and a cold and calculative mind). Quite a few people have complained about her. What can we expect from such a leader who cannot even unite a block? Will she ever be able to unite a community or society?
I have been deeply disturbed with being in the same organization as this ‘leader’. All this has harmed me beyond explanation – Am vexed at having wasted my resources, Am tormented with the negativities thrown at me, Am apprehensive on my own spiritual growth!
Quitting Bharat Soka Gakai seems to be the only option left for me (at least at this moment) – I appear to have no choice, or do I?
Dear Vickram Jaitha,
ReplyDeleteIn your place I would talk to her leader, but before I would chant a lot to become aware of any misperceptions I might have about her conduct.
Please do not make the mistake of condemning the SGI because of this particular situation.
Chant for this person´s happiness, chant for your Buddha nature to manifest and be in the centre of your life.
Also, I would kindly suggest you to study the writings of Sensei and Nichiren.
Yours sincerely,
Paula Machado
https://www.reddit.com/r/sgiwhistleblowers/comments/3ve013/just_quit_the_bharat_soka_gakkai_soka_gakkai_in/#bottom-comments
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